PERSONAL EXPLANATION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 198, 22 August 1874, Page 2

PERSONAL EXPLANATION.

The following, taken from Hansard, is the Hon. H. R. Russell’s explanation in the Legislative Council, of his connection with the celebrated Heretaunga land purchases in Hawke’s Bay. Old Napier residents, intimately acquainted with the history of that block will read the “ explanation ” with as much wonderment as interest.:—

The Hon. Mr. Russell.—Sir, before the business of the day is proceeded with, I am desirous, with the permission of the Council, to say a few words on a matter personal to myself. Houorable members will recollect that, two sessions ago, when moving that th e report of the Commissioner appointed under the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act be laid on the table, I took occasion to allude to certain misrepresentations which had been made and industriously circulated regarding my conduct in connection with a transaction relating to the Heretaunga block, Hawke’s Bay. I stated to the House that I regretted I was not then in a posilion to give them such full information regarding the whole circumstances of the case as would, in my opinion, have dispelled from their minds any unfavorable impression which might have been created, because the case was about to be brought before the Supreme. Court, when the matter would be fully sifted, and I was advised by my legal advisers that the case might be prejudiced by statements or explanations which I should have felt it necessary to make. After this long interval of time I regret that I am obliged to tell honorable members that my expectations as to the case having an early hearing have been very grievously disappointed. This lias arisen partly from the blunders or the treachery of some persons whom I employed, apd partly from my own infirm state of health, which has lasted for a considerable time past. In view of these circumstances, however, I feel now bound to give to this House some explanation regarding the particulars of iny alleged wrong-doings in this matter, careless of consequences elsewhere, in order that I might set myself right with honorable members here. The facts are these: — Some four years ago I was interested, with Mr. James Watt, of Napier, in the purchase from a Native woman, whose name was Arihi, of her interest in the Heretaunga block. Her interest in the block was a large one, but it was encumbered by a long lease at a low rental, to which she was then supposed to be a party. Mr. Watt, with my assent, disposed of this purchase, and I shared in the profit on the transaction. Some twelve months afterwards it transpired that the Native woman who had been a party to the lease, and who had sold her interest to Mr. Watt, was a minor at time of these transactions, and I found, from the best legal advice I could obtain on Ihe subject, that those transactions were absolutely void. I also found that other parties, having similar information, were endeavoring to make use of it to further their own purposes, by purchasing, after the Native came of age, at a cheap rate, her share iu the block, which had acquired a largely increased value from the fact of its being disencumbered of the invalid lease to which I have referred. Appealed to by the Native to advise and protect her, after considerable hesitation I took a lease of her interest, with a purchasing clause, at a much higher price than was paid by Mr. Watt or by the parties to whom that gentleman sold. This lease the Native Linds Frauds Prevention Commissioner refused to certify, and his view was supported by a Judge of the Supreme Court, although I have since been advised by several eminent counsel that their views were erroneous. In taking the lease I have referred to, I was actuated by the desire, not of obtaining an advantage for myself or of injuring the parties who had purchased from Mr. Watt, but solely of obtaining the full value of her interest for the Native, who had sold originally under the belief that she had only her reversionary interest to sell after the lease had expired. It is and has been on the Native’s behalf alone that I have been acting and shall continue to act; and I truss, under further advice that I have taken, I shall be able, ere long, to unravel the whole transaction before the Courts of law. Meanwhile I must ask honorable members to believe my word of honor that no wrong was either intended or perpetrated by me, and that I have not been assisting the Natives to do any wrong. Otherwise, I must ask them to suspend their judgment until I can have, as.l believe I soon shall have, an opportunity of obtaining a judicial decision on the legal right of the Natives, and thereby vindicate the rectitude of my conduct. If any honorable gentleman desires to know more of the matters which I have thus lightly sketched, I shall be happy to furnish him with more information privately. I have to apologise to honorable members for trespassing on their time by referring to a jnatter personal to myself, but I trust that the circumstances I have thus shortly narrated will remove from their minds any un favorable impression as to my conduct in. the matter.

MEETING OF IMMIGRANTS AT THE ATHEN2EUM

The following, taken from the Otago Guardian, will serve to shew the effect the present system of shovelling immigrants into the colony, has upon the labor market :—

The meeting was novel in its character for several reasons. In the first place, it was crowded in a manner such as meetings in Dunedin seldom are ; it was composed almost entirely of strangers ; the subject discussed was new ; and ladies, by their presence, and particularly by the efforts they made to get a view of the speakers, showed that they, too, took a keen interest in the proceedings. The Chairman, Mr. J. G. S. Grant, was surrounded by the principal speakers of the evening, many of whom spoke well, and nere loudly applauded, as, in clear and decided language, they related the grievances of themselves and fellow immigrants, and asked the assistance of older colonists. One speaker expressed the disappointment of many, who, he stated, had worked at the Immigration Barracks, and when, on Saturday night, they applied for their remuneration, they were staggered by being offered 2s 6d, and even as little as Is 6d per day. But the supply of butter was spoken of as being even worse than the pecuniary recompense, for butter

they could not get. Another of the immigrants complained that when he left the Peter Denny he was escorted to, and left on, a barren island; another gave a pathetic account of the breaking up of his English home to come to New Zealand. In the Old Country he was earning, he said, 35s per week,” but when he came here what did he find ? Not employment. (Hear, hear.) Others stated that, before they trod on the deck of the ship which brought them here, they were promised 8s a day, and some of tnem said they would not go to work until they got it. Several reasons were adduced why the older colonists should lend a helping hand, one being that, unless the immigrants obtained work, it would be impossible for them to refund their passagemoney, and that, as a consequence, the older colonists would be taxed proportionately to the inability of the new arrivals to make payment. The accommodation afforded was spoken of as being a disgrace to the Government of New Zealand, and particularly so the want of food. The absence of butter, for instance, had prevented parents giving their children, on some occasions, anything better than dry bread ; and the absence also of fire had rendered them unable to relieve the sufferings of their children, pained though they were to see them shaking and shivering from the bitter cold during the late winter weather. It was considered a shame to encourage immigration whilst there was so much difficulty in getting employment. Parliament, therefore, it was said, should be petitioned to cause at least a temporary cessation. “We have been brought here under false pretences,” said an excited bystander. “ Hear, hear,” responded 50 others. Some of the speakers urged upon the meeting to keep up their spirits, assuring them that the Government would not fail to fulfil their promises by giving them employment. The Chairman also told those of the immigrants who talked about going Home that they would no doubt find it unnecessary to do so, their present difficulties being caused, and only temporarily so, by the large influx of population. Further, that if they applied to the Government their prayers would no doubt be listened to favourably. The following letter was read to the meeting during the evening:—

CaversHam Barracks.

Sir, —Hearing that there was to be a meeting of the immigrants to consider the conduct of the Government towards us to-night, I beg to tell you a few things as regards myself. I came by the James Nicol Fleming, and arrived at the barracks on the 25th May, and worked there until I fell ill with rheumatism and fever for six weeks, and during the whole of that time I have not seen a doctor, although the person (anol her immigrant.) who nursed me, went to the matron and asked her to send for the doctor. She went three times, and was told that they did not send for the doctor only in cases of great emergency. I must tell you that the doctor has been to see a person in the next room to me, and I was too ill to call to him ; and here I have lain all the time, and not able to feed myself; and if it had not been for my nurse I might have lain and died. I believe the cause of my illness to be the harsh treatment I have received from the Barrack-master, who made me wash down the stairs every morning, in cold water (as hot could not be got), no matter what weather; and after I was laid up he told my husband that I was a fool for doing the work. And for the truth of this I have three persons to vouch it. Their names can be forthcoming by applying to your humble servant, Jane Elizabeth Tinson. The following motions were unanimously adopted : — Moved by Mr, William Kirby, and seconded by Mr. L. Wernerclerk: “ That this meeting pledges itself not to work for the Government under the certified rate of wages.” Moved by Mr. Thomas Bateman, and seconded by Mr. Thomas Flatman: “ That the newly-arrived immigrants are reasonably entitled to look to the Government for prompt employment on public works at a reasonable compensation, in accordance with promises held forth to the emigrants ere they embarked for New Zealand."

Moved by Mr. Cockcraft, and seconded by Mr. R. Kidd : “ That in the event of the Government refusing to satisfy the just claims of the immigrants, authentic representations should be forwarded to the London Times ; and that this meeting forms itself into a committee of six persons to press upon the Government of New Zealand that the resolutions passed to-night should be carried out; also setting forth the treatment the immigrants experienced after landing in the colony.”